Lottie is a loving, gentle donkey who arrived at Flicka in August 2016. Her condition was very worrying; emaciation, rain-scald, lice and a heavy worm infestation made her a very poorly donkey. The other worry was the fact she was producing milk and was extremely depressed, indicating she had given birth not long beforehand. It was very upsetting to think she has been grieving for a foal who was no doubt taken away from her too early.

Lottie gave us great cause for concern for a number of weeks. Thankfully she responded to treatment and her emotional and physical well-being improved.

​Unbeknown to us, however... Lottie was in the early stages of pregnancy when she arrived! After giving birth donkeys go through a ‘foal heat’ so are immediately fertile for three weeks after having given birth. Many unscrupulous dealers capitalise on this and keep donkeys almost constantly pregnant. It soon became clear she may be in foal and this was confirmed following further blood screening. Lottie had some very serious health issues and required many vet visits through out her pregnancy, but we were delighted when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Olly, in the early hours of the morning on the 21st July 2017.​